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The Bible Compass: A Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scriptures
The Bible is central to our Faith as Catholics. But approaching such a large and complex collection of writings that span thousands of years is intimidating for most of us. We need a guide, a compass to set us off on the right course so that our time spent studying the Scriptures is a time spent encountering the living God. The Bible Compass provides Catholics with the tools to study the Word of God with confidence and purpose, and it teaches them how to understand the Bible within the living Tradition of the Catholic Church. It addresses all the common questions about the Bible
As Catholics we are called to have an intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ and the Church as revealed in the Scriptures. Reading the Bible with the proper tools and in the appropriate context will help you grow in your love for the Faith and in your relationship with Jesus Christ himself , who is the Word made Flesh (John 1:14).
As Catholics we are called to have an intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ and the Church as revealed in the Scriptures. Reading the Bible with the proper tools and in the appropriate context will help you grow in your love for the Faith and in your relationship with Jesus Christ himself , who is the Word made Flesh (John 1:14).
174 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
140 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Edward Sri
58 books263 followersDr. Edward Sri is a nationally-known speaker on Scripture and Catholicism and the author of several best-selling books. Besides teaching at the Augustine Institute, Sri is a visiting professor at Benedictine College and a contributor to the popular apologetics series, Catholic for a Reason. Sri is also a founding leader with Curtis Martin of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students).
He also is the creator and host of a new 18-part video series on the Catholic faith for parish adult faith formation called Symbolon (Augustine Institute), and he serves the general editor of a Opening the Word: Journey through the Sunday Readings (Augustine Institute).
Dr. Sri leads pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy Land for lay people each year.
He resides with his wife Elizabeth and their six children in Littleton, Colorado.
Education
STD, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Rome)
STL, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Rome)
MA, Franciscan University of Steubenville
He also is the creator and host of a new 18-part video series on the Catholic faith for parish adult faith formation called Symbolon (Augustine Institute), and he serves the general editor of a Opening the Word: Journey through the Sunday Readings (Augustine Institute).
Dr. Sri leads pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy Land for lay people each year.
He resides with his wife Elizabeth and their six children in Littleton, Colorado.
Education
STD, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Rome)
STL, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Rome)
MA, Franciscan University of Steubenville
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 17, 2022
izuzetno konzervativan i jednostrani prikaz biblije. iako je to ne samo knjiga koja u moralnom i duhovnom smislu govori židovima i kršćanima (protestantima, katolicima i pravoslavnima), nego i djelo od opće kulturne i civilizacijske važnosti, ovdje se gleda isključivo kroz prizmu katoličanstva i potiče na čitanje koje je jedino ispravno u tom svjetlu. preporučujem jedino kao knjižicu kroz koju ćeš u jednome danu upoznati osnovne biblijske sadržaje i strukturu. i ništa više od toga.
November 29, 2021
Edward Sri is a great communicator and he has a great message. His "Compass" gives a clear simple explanation and guide to teh 73 books of the Bible. He introduces the essential ideas that oe can carry foreward into meaningful Bible study.
December 21, 2022
Read for class. Does what it's supposed to do. Not the most thrilling read, but a good foundation. Could see this being very good for parishioners who want to get orientated with Sacred Scripture.
November 7, 2012
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this book, but I know that I like Edward Sri's works so I was looking forward to reading this. This book is an excellent source for understanding the Bible and answering basic to intermediate questions about the Bible that Catholics should know but most don't.
The first few chapters address Scripture as being divinely inspired and the three pillars of the Catholic faith - Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. We then move on to what I consider the most important section of this book, how to read Scripture correctly. So many of us just read random bits of Scripture, if any, and never get anything out of it, but that is not the proper way to read it. We have to know the author's intention with which he wrote as well as reading within the Living Tradition of the Church. Reading within the Living Tradition of the Church is important because the Church has been around 2,000 years so we should trust that the Church knows better than us and we shouldn't trust modern or personal interpretations that don't jive with the 2,000 year history of interpretations.
The book then goes on to address questions Catholics might have or be asked like why Catholics have more books than Protestants? (Short answer is we use the Septuagint Old Testament and the Protestants use the Masoretic text.) The book then concludes with a very short chapter on Lectio Divina, using the Scriptures to pray, which is something I am going to try and do in this Year of Faith. Check out my other reviews at stuartsstudy.blogspot.com
The first few chapters address Scripture as being divinely inspired and the three pillars of the Catholic faith - Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. We then move on to what I consider the most important section of this book, how to read Scripture correctly. So many of us just read random bits of Scripture, if any, and never get anything out of it, but that is not the proper way to read it. We have to know the author's intention with which he wrote as well as reading within the Living Tradition of the Church. Reading within the Living Tradition of the Church is important because the Church has been around 2,000 years so we should trust that the Church knows better than us and we shouldn't trust modern or personal interpretations that don't jive with the 2,000 year history of interpretations.
The book then goes on to address questions Catholics might have or be asked like why Catholics have more books than Protestants? (Short answer is we use the Septuagint Old Testament and the Protestants use the Masoretic text.) The book then concludes with a very short chapter on Lectio Divina, using the Scriptures to pray, which is something I am going to try and do in this Year of Faith. Check out my other reviews at stuartsstudy.blogspot.com
December 22, 2012
The title of this book - The Bible Compass: A Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scripture - pretty much sums it up. The Bible Compass will help one to not wander aimlessly through the Bible; it will point them in the direction in which they need to go in order to learn from God's word and hold it in their heart.
The Bible Compass is divided into four sections each giving readers an approach or tool to reading Scripture. The first talks about how the Bible is inspired by God as well as how Scripture along with Tradition and the Magisterium are a part of God's revelation of Himself. The second section is the meat of the book; it talks about five keys that are necessary for interpreting Scripture. Next is information about from where the Bible came and why is the Catholic Bible 'different' than that of Protestants. And the final section gives the reader insight into Biblical archaeology, history, geography, information about translations and even a chapter on Lectio Divina (a way to pray the Scriptures).
The Bible Compass is a good book for the student wanting to read Scripture but not sure how to best accomplish that goal. It would be useful for not only adults but also high school and college students. I think this book would make a nice gift for an RCIA student.
March 9, 2011
A good primer for Bible study.
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July 29, 2011This book was developed as a guide to the Bible for members of the Catholic faith. It may contain information on Catholicism that may be of interest to you.
June 7, 2013
Dr. Sri is an excellent teacher. I especially like the last part of the book that gives an overview of the Bible timeline and a small section on lectio divina.
January 20, 2013
Good overview of the Bible as a whole and things to keep in mind when approaching reading the Bible
February 10, 2017
A lovely little book about reading the Bible from a Catholic point of view. I'm a guy who likes the Bible. I like the stories, the lessons, the traditions. The Bible has helped me through some hard and confusing times. It has offered me insight, wisdom, hope, and inspiration. It's a great, great book.
I'm not much of a believer in the supernatural at this point in my life. There are mysteries in the universe, to be sure, and a purely scientific worldview is a bit too sterile for my liking. I have a spiritual nature, and I enjoy thinking and praying and mediating as a way of exploring, and expanding, that part of my life. The Bible is a big part of that. There are Truths in the Bible; insights about the human condition, advice about how to live a good life, etc. So what's why I read it.
Also, dropping a quote from the Bible in conversation is freaking gold! That's a serious show-stopper if you are arguing with someone. When you say, "Well...it's like Jesus said..." or "You know, the Bible says..." there's no where to go from there. You. Just. Win.
So, yes: Bible. Good book (see what I did there?)
I'm not much of a believer in the supernatural at this point in my life. There are mysteries in the universe, to be sure, and a purely scientific worldview is a bit too sterile for my liking. I have a spiritual nature, and I enjoy thinking and praying and mediating as a way of exploring, and expanding, that part of my life. The Bible is a big part of that. There are Truths in the Bible; insights about the human condition, advice about how to live a good life, etc. So what's why I read it.
Also, dropping a quote from the Bible in conversation is freaking gold! That's a serious show-stopper if you are arguing with someone. When you say, "Well...it's like Jesus said..." or "You know, the Bible says..." there's no where to go from there. You. Just. Win.
So, yes: Bible. Good book (see what I did there?)
May 4, 2023
The Bible Compass is very simple guide on how to understand and read Bible in the catholic way. You can read it in one day and get the all the information about the most important book in human history. It is never boring, it is always on point and it never drags or gives to much information. And maybe it is a problem, to say to little about the Bible. I think authors intention was to give only basic informations to total beginners in Bible study, it will not be engaging to people who already have a grasp on the Bible.
September 14, 2023
This book is brief but comprehensive in providing and overview of the Bible. It describes how the Bible was written and discusses the different types of literature it contains. The book is written from a Roman Catholic perspective. It thus includes the deuterocanonical books in its discussion and the reasons that Protestant and Catholic Bibles are different. It includes keys for interpreting the Bible and covers literal and figurative approaches.
The tone of the book is the Bible is something that the reader will want to understand and apply.
The tone of the book is the Bible is something that the reader will want to understand and apply.
December 16, 2020
Great Guide
This book is encouraging for people who want to start studying the Bible the way Catholics should. The end of the book have good resources like using a commentary, The Catechism of the Catholic Church and a good concordance. If you don't have those to help you understand it's worth buying good ones.
This book is encouraging for people who want to start studying the Bible the way Catholics should. The end of the book have good resources like using a commentary, The Catechism of the Catholic Church and a good concordance. If you don't have those to help you understand it's worth buying good ones.
October 12, 2021
The last two chapters should have been the first chapters of this book. It was really what the book was all about. The details could have come afterwards to explain. It is a nice short book that gives you a bit of a jumping off point for reading the Bible.
December 3, 2024
Having attended many Bible studies, both Protestant and Catholic, over the course of my life, I thought this book would be super basic and that I wouldn't learn much, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is easy to read, and you will learn something. I highly recommend it.
October 8, 2017
Excellent coverage of an approach to reading the Bible; closely related to the Great Adventure Bible Timeline(tm) series.
February 6, 2020
This was a great little read. Some things I already knew. But overall it had a lot of helpful information for reading and understanding Scripture.
July 26, 2020
Great introduction to/review of scripture study.
September 8, 2020
Excellent book to get into before reading the Bible. I would definitely recommend reading this first, as an introductory to the actual Bible.
July 6, 2022
This is the succinct introduction to the Bible – I loved it!
November 19, 2022
Insights, as our his other books on Scripture. This was required reading to start a college-level Bible study and it has helped.
February 11, 2023
A book to ever recall.what a book!
Want to read
August 20, 2024220.09 SRI
September 28, 2024
A basic handbook for things to consider as you study the Bible.
March 11, 2025
Incredible!! Read if you desire to learn how to read scripture better. It covers everything you need to know. Just incredible
November 29, 2020
Good information for reading the Bible
Very informative. Great reference to reading the Bible. It provides information to better understanding and how to effectively read the Bible in a Catholic manner.
Very informative. Great reference to reading the Bible. It provides information to better understanding and how to effectively read the Bible in a Catholic manner.
April 25, 2016
Lovely resource on the Bible for Catholics of all stripes. Dr Sri covers the basics of what the Bible is, how the Bible needs to fit into the larger picture and not be cherry picked for quotes, and some nice basic background of the life and times of the salvation story. Wonderful writing style that is both informative and easy to read. I would recommend to anyone because the cautions of reading the Bible in isolation from anything historical or in novel ways are valid for everyone. I realize that non Catholics will object to the Catechism and the Magisterium, but really the points are still valid.
Dr Sri first sets out what Catholics believe about the Bible - it is divinely inspired, written truly by both its human author and God via the Holy Spirit, and that it is not to be viewed in isolation. Next, he covers five keys to proper understanding of the Bible. The first is to take it for what it is - a library that has various time periods and styles - as he says don't try to get out of a ticket by reading traffic law as poetry. The next three are the three legged stool of Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. He covers how they work together and how missing any one will cause problems while also covering exactly what each is and isn't. Finally, he covers the four senses of scripture taught by the Church. The literal sense, which we must understand first, the allegorical sense that helps us find Christ in the reading, the moral sense that helps us find a Christian path to follow in the reading, and finally the anagogical sense that helps us see the heavenly future. All together this reminds us to take the Bible together as a whole with what we already know never focusing on one line out of context of the rest of the picture. Next he covers a few key things about where the Bible came from and what makes something canonical. This is a nice segue into the final section of background. All those interpretive keys don't work well if you don't know a little about the geography or customs of the people writing the story. Not knowing about your translation or what biases might exist also set you up to fall down on the job.
Dr Sri first sets out what Catholics believe about the Bible - it is divinely inspired, written truly by both its human author and God via the Holy Spirit, and that it is not to be viewed in isolation. Next, he covers five keys to proper understanding of the Bible. The first is to take it for what it is - a library that has various time periods and styles - as he says don't try to get out of a ticket by reading traffic law as poetry. The next three are the three legged stool of Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. He covers how they work together and how missing any one will cause problems while also covering exactly what each is and isn't. Finally, he covers the four senses of scripture taught by the Church. The literal sense, which we must understand first, the allegorical sense that helps us find Christ in the reading, the moral sense that helps us find a Christian path to follow in the reading, and finally the anagogical sense that helps us see the heavenly future. All together this reminds us to take the Bible together as a whole with what we already know never focusing on one line out of context of the rest of the picture. Next he covers a few key things about where the Bible came from and what makes something canonical. This is a nice segue into the final section of background. All those interpretive keys don't work well if you don't know a little about the geography or customs of the people writing the story. Not knowing about your translation or what biases might exist also set you up to fall down on the job.
August 16, 2022
Dr. Sri presents complex information in an easy-to-read book with great practical tips to help the reader understand the Bible in a deeper way. He definitely got me thinking on many different topics and aspects of stories I had never thought about. I would recommend this book to anybody wanting to know more about the authenticity of the Bible and the Catholic Church or wanting to know how to study the Bible.
January 18, 2015
This a a great book helping me see things about the Bible I was unaware of. It shows the purpose of the Bible, how it came about and how best to utilize it in our daily lives. This book truly brings the Bible to life with historical value and purpose.
March 4, 2016
I particularly enjoyed the last few chapters which covered the archaeology, geography, and history of the Bible as well as the translations and methods of interpreting Scripture. Sri's ending on Lectio Divina made for a lovely conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews